Cast-off construction.



E. N. HUMPHREY.

CAST-OFF GONSTRUGTIONL APPLICATION FILED JUNBZ, 1913.

1 ,O 85, 9 1 4. Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT earma- ERNEST N. HUMPHREY, OF NEW BRITAIN,CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE TRAUT &

HINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- TIONOF CONNECTICUT.

CAST-OFF CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 2, 1913.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

Serial No. 771,214.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST N. HUMPHREY, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Britain, Hartford county, State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cast-Off Construction,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is designed to provide an improved form of cast-offdevice such as used in the suspender art and aims to provide a simpleand eiiicient device of this character which may be readily and cheaplymanufactured.

A preferable embodiment of the invention is described in detail in thefollowing specification, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings illustrating such a preferable embodiment, and in which,

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of two separate and separable partsunited by means of a cast-off construction embodying the presentinvention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of one of the parts shown inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line aa of Fig. 1. Figs. 4and 5 are details of construction of the forms of the device illustratedin Figs. 1-3. Fig. 6 is a view in front elevation of a cast-ofl'construction embodying a tubular cord guide. Fig. 7 is a verticalsectional view on the line 6-6, Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates one of the twoseparable parts which, in the present showing, forms a loop plate and iscarried by the lower end of the shoulder strap of a suspenderconstruction. This loop plate is provided with a headed stud 2projecting outwardly therefrom, which stud is used as a means ofconnection between the loop plate and the other member of the cast-oif.This other member of the cast-off in the present showing constitutes themeans of support for the strap or cord, which extends to and is attachedto the supported garment. 3 designates a strap plate designed to receivesuch supporting straps, this plate being provided with one or more slots4 therein through which the straps are threaded. The inner edge of theplate adjacent the upper slot is recessed as at 3 to receive a claspmember which is designed to cooperate with the stud 2 of the othermember of the cast-0E. This clasp member in its specific embodiment isespecially desirable from the commercial standpoint inasmuch as it maybe readily formed from sheet metal stamped by appropriate mechanism. InFig. 5 I have illustrated a metal blank from which the clasp member maybe formed. This blank provides a central portion 5 and end portions 6and 7, the latter being stamped to form a flange 8 extending around itsedge, the end 6 being preferably of a size and shape to fit snuglywithin the flanged portion 8 of the opposite end when the blank isfolded upon itself centrally of the middle portion 5 thereof.

In the form shown in Figs. 13, the portion 5 of the blank seats withinthe recessed edge 3* of the strap plate 3 and is clamped about the upperedge of said plate to securely engage the clasp member therewith. Theends 6 and 7 are each provided with complemental keyhole slots 9 thereinwhich, when the blank is folded, are in alinement. These ends 6 and 7,when brought together, form a housing and are secured togetherpreferably by means of tongues 10 and 11 formed integrally with the end7 of the blank and folded over to engage and unite the end 6 therewith.This provides a space between the inner walls of the sides 6 and 7 ofthe housing within which space is seated a spring claspmember'comprising a base 12 seating between the inner extremities of thehousing and having complemental spring arms 13 extending therefrom andlying in substantial alinement with and behind the edges of the walls ofsaid housing adjacent the alined slots therein. These arms 13 areprovided intermediate their ends and at the points corresponding to thepoints of contraction of the key-hole slots 9 with inwardly projectinglocking shoulders 13 which project outbeyond the edges of the sides ofsaid housing adjacent said keyhole slot. The base 12 of the spring claspis recessed as at 12 to receive the tongue 11 when the same is bentthereover and extends to and is bent upon the outer face of the side fthe housing. 7 This, therefore, secures the lower end of the springclasp to the housing, but leaves its spring arms 13 free to yield. Itwill be noted that the edge of the end 6 is offset as at 15 to extendwithin the housing at a point above the upper edge of the arms 13 of thespring clasp and form a seat for the tongue 10 when the latter is bentover the upper edge of the part 6 to secure the two sides of the housingtogether.

The enlarged end of the alined keyhole slots 9 in the housing areslightly greater in diameter than that of the headed stud 2 so that thelatter may be inserted through the enlarged end of these keyhole slotsto project beyond the outer face of the housing, The part of thecast-oft carrying said housing may then be moved to bring the shank ofthe stud 2 within the upper and contract ed portion of the keyhole slotswhereupon the locking shoulders 13 of the spring arms, which are spacedapart a distance less than the diameter of said stud shank, will snap inbelow said shank and detachably lock the shank in engagement with thehousing at the upper edge of the keyhole slot, as shown particularly inFigs. 3 and 7. In order to separate the parts, it is only necessary tomove the same relative to each other with slight force to bring theshank of the stud in the direction of the enlarged end 01 the keyholeslot of the housing, whereupon the arms 13 will. be spread apart and thehead of the stud 2 brought within the enlarged end of the keyhole slotso that it may be withdrawn laterally therefrom and the two parts of thecast-ofi" separated.

Where the garment supporting straps are not used and cords aresubstituted, I may advantageously shape the middle portion of the sheetmetal blank to provide a cord guide and thereby dispense entirely withthe strap plate 3 shown in Figs. 13. The blank, when thus formed, willbe folded upon itself and on a line transversely of the central portionof the blank to provide the tubular cord guide portion 1 1 of Figs. 6and 7, the construction and parts of the blank being otherwise the sameas those shown in Figs. 1-3, these parts being secured together in thesame manner by means of the tongues 10 and 11. Such a construction ofcord guide, it will be evident, is an especially advantageous oneinasmuch as the tubular cord guide and attaching clasp may be formedfrom a single piece of sheet metal and at minimum manufacturing cost.

While I have herein described a prefen able embodiment of the invention,it will be obvious that various changes in the structure and relativearrangement of parts are possible within the spirit of the invention andthe scope of the appended claim.

l hat I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a garment supporter clasp, a sheet metal blank having similarlyshaped end. portions each provided with a key-hole slot therein andhaving an intermediate portion, said blank being bent transversely onsaid intermediate portion to bring said end portions face to face withtheir slots in alinement, one of said end portions having a housingflange about its edges and having a locking tongue adjacent the enlargedend of its slotted portion, and the other of said end portions fittingwithin said housing flange, a spring clasp comprising a base and twointegral spaced spring arms extending therefrom and having alinedoppositely disposed and inwardly extending locking sh onlders thereon,said clasp being seated between said end portions with its basepositioned below the enlarged ends of said alined slots, said lockingtongue being clasped over the edge of the opposite end portion and overthe edge of said clasp base to lock said end portions together, with thebase of said clasp held therebetween, the locking shoulders of saidclasp normally extending inwardly toward each other and beyond the inneredges of the narrower portion of the alined key-h ole slots, the ends ofsaid spring arms being free and said arms being loosely inclosed withinsaid end portion housing.

ERNEST N. HUMPHREY.

Witnesses FRANK L. TRAUT, J. lVARAM, J r.

Copier of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. (3.

